The American Backyard
Released
5.2out of 10
Based on 1 rating
Where to stream it
Streaming data from JustWatch.
A troubled young man falls for an American military auxiliary in postwar Italy. A year later, he relocates to the American Midwest to write his first novel, next to her elderly mother's house—separated by a grim garden.
How it scares
Each kind of scare is rated out of 10. Hover over a score, or use the info button, to see what it means.
- Gore
4.0 out of 10,Moderate
Blood, injuries and body horror shown on screen. Violence that happens off-screen barely counts.
Gore 4.0 is moderate (3-4 on the scale):
- Visible blood and wounds in a few scenes
- The camera cuts away before the worst of it
- 1-2Mild
- 3-4Moderate
- 5-6Strong
- 7-8Intense
- 9-10Extreme
- Creepy
5.0 out of 10,Strong
Unsettling images, atmosphere and things that feel wrong. Not sudden shocks (Jumpscares) or waiting for something to happen (Suspense).
Creepy 5.0 is strong (5-6 on the scale):
- Disturbing images and an atmosphere that feels wrong
- Comes back often, and some scenes stay with you afterwards
- 1-2Mild
- 3-4Moderate
- 5-6Strong
- 7-8Intense
- 9-10Extreme
- Jumpscares
4.0 out of 10,Moderate
Sudden shocks designed to make you jump, usually a fast movement or a loud noise. Not slow-building dread (Suspense).
Jumpscares 4.0 is moderate (3-4 on the scale):
- A handful of jumpscares that land
- Spaced out, with long gaps between them
- 1-2Mild
- 3-4Moderate
- 5-6Strong
- 7-8Intense
- 9-10Extreme
- Suspense
5.0 out of 10,Strong
Tension and dread while you wait for something to happen. Not the scare itself when it arrives (Jumpscares or Gore).
Suspense 5.0 is strong (5-6 on the scale):
- High tension that keeps you on edge
- Calm moments are short and don't last
- 1-2Mild
- 3-4Moderate
- 5-6Strong
- 7-8Intense
- 9-10Extreme
- Psychological
4.0 out of 10,Moderate
Horror that gets in your head: paranoia, madness, doubting what's real and ideas that stay with you. Not how a scene looks (Creepy) or feels in the moment (Suspense).
Psychological 4.0 is moderate (3-4 on the scale):
- Unsettling themes, moral dilemmas or a character you can't trust
- Makes you think, without leaving you shaken
- 1-2Mild
- 3-4Moderate
- 5-6Strong
- 7-8Intense
- 9-10Extreme
How the overall score of 5.2 is worked out
A film's three strongest kinds of scare count, with some weighted. Averages bunch up in the middle, so the result is then spread out from the average across every rated film.
- Each kind of scare is weighted: gore loses a point, and creepy and jumpscares gain one.
- Gore 4.0 − 1 = 3.0
- Creepy 5.0 + 1 = 6.0
- Jumpscares 4.0 + 1 = 5.0
- Suspense 5.0, unchanged
- Psychological 4.0, unchanged
- The average of the 3 highest (creepy, jumpscares, suspense): (6.0 + 5.0 + 5.0) ÷ 3 = 5.3.
- The average film scores 5.4, and the gap from it counts 2 times, so scores use the whole scale: 5.4 + (5.3 − 5.4) × 2 = 5.2.
See every answer and the full working or try your own scores in the calculator
Latest ratings
Where it sits on the Scare Scale
The American Backyard is number 1553 of 2464 rated films on the Scare Scale, with an overall score of 5.2 out of 10.
Every line is a rated film. Hover, tap or drag along the line to compare.
- The Accursed5.2
- The Advent Calendar5.2
- The American Backyard (this film)5.2
- The Ancestral5.2
- The Assent5.2
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